Support Staff

Chris Willis was named the fifth head volleyball coach in Missouri Southern history on June 25, 2004. Now in his sixth year as Lions head coach, he came to MSSU after a five-year stint as an assistant volleyball coach at NCAA Division I Missouri State University. Willis continued the turnaround for the Southern volleyball program in 2006 when he guided the team to a 23-12 record, a national ranking, a trip in the MIAA postseason tournament, and a spot in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. He had three All-MIAA performers in Tessa Woods, Ashley Mehrer and Megan Norman. Woods was also named All-Region. In the last two seasons, Willis has coached six All-MIAA performers. Despite little time to recruit for the 2004 season, Willis coached the Lions to the MIAA Postseason Tournament after the team finished 14-18 overall and tied for sixth in the conference. From 1999 through the 2003 season, Willis helped the Missouri State Bears to an impressive 122-40 record as an assistant on Melissa Stokes' staff. While at MSU, Willis served as the volleyball program's liaison with the speed, strength and conditioning program and also handled the coaching of the outside hitters and setters. The Bears posted 20 or more victories in each of Willis' five seasons, including 27-win campaigns in 2000 and 2003. In all, Willis has nine years of experience as an assistant coach in the NCAA Division I ranks. Before joining the MSU staff, he served as assistant coach for two years at Northern Arizona University. While at the Flagstaff, Ariz., institution, Willis was responsible for the development of outside hitters, scouting, game management and assisted with recruiting. The Lumberjacks finished 19-10 in 1997, Willis' first season, and 18-11 in 1998. He also worked as an assistant for two seasons at Davidson (N.C.) College, where he coached setters and coordinated the strength & conditioning program. Willis earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1991 from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He received his master's degree in human performance & sport study from the University of Tennessee in 1994. Willis also played on men's volleyball club teams at both Baylor and Tennessee. After graduating from Tennessee, the Kirkwood, Mo., native served one season as head coach at Harris-Stowe State College in St. Louis in 1994. Willis has had two volleyball stints with Athletes in Action. In 1992, he was a player on a team that toured Central America. In the summer of 2002, he was the coach on a men's team that visited Cameroon. Willis has worked several volleyball camps since 1995, including clinics at the University of Tennessee, Washington (Mo.) University, University of North Carolina, Davidson, Northern Arizona and MSU. He was also head coach of the USA Volleyball Juniors from 1995-2001 and was an assistant coach at Kirkwood High School in the spring of 1992.
Willis is married to former Southwest Baptist Head Coach Leslie (Howe) Willis.